respond back to the following as a peer. Patients can seek a copy of their health records or have them sent to a specified third party, such as a personal representative or another individual, under the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Before the records can be distributed, the patient must give authorization to the third party to receive them — on a HIPAA authorization form – if they were not obtained in person by the patient. Before sharing patient health records, healthcare workers must confirm the patients or the person collecting the documents’ identity and ensure that the records are only given to those allowed to receive them. It’s also essential to ensure that the proper patient records are released (Alder, 2021).
Patient privacy is breached when health records are accessed for reasons other than those permitted by the Privacy Rule — treatment, payment, and healthcare operations. One of the most prevalent HIPAA infractions perpetrated by employees is snooping on the medical records of relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and celebrities. When these infractions are detected, the employee’s job is usually terminated, but they may also face criminal prosecution (Alder, 2021).
A workforce member’s unintentional acquisition, access, or use of protected health information in good faith and within the extent of responsibility would not be a reportable breach. It would not necessarily result in disciplinary action(Alder, 2021).In this situation, he accessed the test results other than those permitted by the Privacy Rule — treatment. I would advise my colleague to alert the appropriate authorities and clarify his objectives because his action is a HIPPA violation. I would be compelled to report any HIPPA violations as well as any other unethical behavior. I would definitely notify my boss, HIPPA privacy officer, or HR as a mandatory reporter, and My Supervisor may also submit an official complaint with the proper authorities as a privacy breach. The victim of the violation must also be notified within an acceptable timeframe. There were far better ways for the colleague to obtain information, mainly if they both worked for the same medical institution, that would not have jeopardized their employment. Unfortunately, Suppose hospital staff is caught looking at patient records for which they are not authorized to see. In that case, they are literally escorted to the door of the hospital, where they will be met by police who will take them to the station to be charged for violation of HIPPA or PIPPA. A licensed professional will lose their hospital privileges and their license. This could even apply to looking at your husband’s medical records, your kid’s blood test results, or finding out if your colleague is out of surgery yet without any disclosure paperwork or consent.
Reference
Alder, S. (2021). The Most Common HIPAA Violations You Should Be Aware Of. HIPAA Journal. https://www.hipaajournal.com/common-hipaa-violations/
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